Abduction and forced marriage still happen in South Africa

Even in 21st century South Africa, a constitutional democracy, forced marriage is a reality for some young girls. Ukuthwala, the customary practice where girls under the age of 18 years are abducted and married off to older men, still occurs in the rural Eastern Cape.

Such marriages are usually arranged by the groom and the girl’s…

Preventing is better than treating substance abuse

Prevention is better than cure, and the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Leepile Sehularo is at the forefront of seeking solutions to adolescent substance abuse through prevention programmes.

Illegal substance use among adolescent learners is a global concern for government policy-makers, researchers and mental health care…

NWU academic advances environmental justice

Environmental justice, writes North-West University (NWU) senior lecturer and researcher Dr Kesolofetse Lefenya, entails social transformation directed towards meeting basic human needs and enhancing the quality of life, environmental protection and democracy.

Dr Lefenya writes that, despite the latter, South Africa is experiencing…

NWU heads SA core team in fight against neuromuscular diseases

The social and economic impact of neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) is staggering. These diseases, which include motor neuron disease and muscular dystrophies, can cause premature death or lifelong disability and are believed to affect one in every 400 people – meaning about 20 million children and adults across the globe.

There is hope…

NWU weathers pandemic storm with great successes in 1st semester

Hard work, creativity and perseverance have enabled the North-West University (NWU) to deliver significantly higher pass rates despite the Covid-19 pandemic having wreaked havoc in the higher-education sector since March 2020.

The university’s commitment to continuously improving the quality of teaching and learning support to…

Women are putting roots down in agriculture

Women form the backbone of many rural economies and play an important role in poverty reduction and food security according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Dr Morategi Mojanaga, North-West University (NWU) alumna and chief animal health technician at the Gauteng Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, says women…

Rose Hayeshi – a rising star at the BioAfrica Convention

A researcher from the North-West University (NWU) and one of the rising stars in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), is taking part in this year’s BioAfrica Convention that is taking place from 24 to 26 August.

Prof Rose Hayeshi, director of and associate professor at the DSI/NWU Preclinical Drug Development…

Social and linguistic shifts during the Covid-19 pandemic

The North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), hosted the third research webinar of a seven-part series on 20 August 2020.

With the theme “Language matters: Social and linguistic shifts during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic”, the webinar unpacked the impact of the…

HySA at the NWU

During the presentation of the budget vote of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in the National Assembly on 24 July 2020, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, highlighted a number of flagship projects, also those dealing with Covid-19 challenges, including projects in which Hydrogen South…

Teachers without Borders inspire a new generation of scientists

The year 2020 will probably be remembered in history books for the Coronavirus and the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the entire world to a standstill. Suddenly many people learned about viruses, and how they differ from bacteria.

The unseen world of microbiology became part of our daily routines, with social distancing and sanitising…